Saving The Rohingya: Stopping Genocide And Volunteering In Chicago

By Steve Balkin and Phil Hultquist

Panel discussion at Roosevelt University in Chicago, 425 South Wabash, Room 418, Monday October 2, from 4 to 6 p.m. This event is free and open to the public.

In the spirit of "Think Globally and Act Locally," this panel will help people understand the causes of the genocide policies of Myanmar (formerly Burma) directed at the Rohingya, a Moslem minority; what the United States and UN are doing to change this trajectory; advocacy to protect and assist the Rohingya, and programs to help Chicago Rohingya refugees improve their adjustment to America.

This panel will be moderated by professor Phil Hultquist, director of the International Relations program at Roosevelt University, and will open with Chicago Buddhist Peace Fellowship teacher Jack Lawlor reading a statement derived from the writings of spiritual leader Thich Nhat Hanh.

A short video of a recent interview of U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) with Hultquist will be played, and an information table from the Burma Task Force and Rohingya Cultural Center will be available.

This panel will help students, faculty and the general public understand this issue better to encourage them to be activists and volunteers in this realm and provide specific ways to do that without traveling to New York, Washington D.C. Brussels, Rakhine State, or Naypyidaw.